"A win is a win": Lindsey on Dons' shoot-out triumph over Arsenal

There were plenty of positives to take from MK Dons’ penalty shoot-out win over Arsenal U21s for head coach Scott Lindsey.

Making 11 changes to the side for the Bristol Street Motors Trophy, Lindsey was eager to cast his eye over some of the players he has not seen in action as yet.

And he was impressed by what he saw, especially in the first-half. Ellis Harrison scored twice as four goals in ten minutes made for a thrilling 2-2 draw by the interval. Arsenal took control of the second-half though, but could not find the breakthrough.

Craig MacGillivray, making his first Dons appearance in ten months, saved three penalties in the shoot-out afterwards to be crowned the hero of the piece as Lindsey came away happy with his side.

“A win is a win, and that's a win,” he said.. “We got more goals than they did, as far as I'm concerned! We have to have a winning mentality, I'm trying to build that really quickly. I want the players to feel that, because we've won the game. We have to celebrate the games we win, and be disappointed when we don't.

“There was lots to be encouraged by. We were really good in possession in the first-half, the second-half became a long half for us. We had a lot of the play without the ball which isn't normally us, but there was a lot to be encouraged by.”

He continued: “We scored a couple of good goals through Ellis and Craig was the hero at the end, which was pleasing. He's not played a lot of football recently so I'm happy for him.

“I enjoyed tonight, it gave me an opportunity for me to run my eye over players I've not seen in games, so it was good for me.”